Topic: You Have to Want to Hear from God [RICK WARREN Devotional 26 September 2021]

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You Have to Want to Hear from God

BY RICK WARREN — SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
FROM HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD.

“You will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.”

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NLT)You’re not going to hear God unless you really, really want to.

God doesn’t tell his dream for your life if you want to debate it. God doesn’t tell his vision for your life if you want to discuss it. God doesn’t tell you what he put you on Earth to do just so you can say, “Let me think about it.”

No! It’s got to be a necessity. You have to say, “I’ve got to know why I’m here. I’ve got to know what you want me to do with my life. I’ve got to hear your voice. I’ve got to have your vision.”

King David wrote in the book of Psalms, “My God, I want to do what you want” (Psalm 40:8 NCV) and “What I want most of all and at all times is to honor your laws” (Psalm 119:20 CEV).

David was passionate in his declaration that what he wanted most of all was to honor God. Being obedient and following God were not options for him. They were the only thing David wanted to do. He used phrases for seeking God like, “I long for it,” “I crave it,” “I hunger for it,” and “I’m like a deer panting for water.”

When you get that desperate, you’re going to hear from God.

A lot of people talk to God but never hear from God. For them, prayer is a monologue. But you can’t have a relationship through a monologue. What if I had married my wife and talked to her, but she never talked to me? That’s not a relationship. You’ve got to have a conversation.

Just as important as talking to God in prayer is listening to God and letting him talk to you. How does that happen? First, you’ve got to want it more than anything else.

Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “You will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him” (NLT). It’s guaranteed!

• What thing do you want most in life? How does your prayer life reflect that longing?
• How can you cultivate passion—or greater passion—for God in your life?
• With what attitude do you usually approach God when you’re asking for direction? Are you prepared to respond in obedience?